Suture Coil and Suture Sheath for Tissue Repair

ABSTRACT

A medical device is provided comprising a suture thread coated with a stiffening agent and having a shape of a coil having a plurality of windings. The suture thread may be used to reconnect soft tissue to bone tissue. The suture thread may be used in conjunction with a suture sheath which is inhibited from movement relative to the suture thread.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 61/469,386, filed Mar. 30, 2011, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to systems, devices and methods for the repair of defects that occur in tissue of a body, particularly a human body.

BACKGROUND

In tissue repair, to repair a torn rotator cuff of a shoulder, surgeons may reattach the supraspinatus tendon to the humerous of a body. Preferably, an attachment method should offer sufficient strength with a minimal amount of foreign hardware in the construct, to minimize rejection by the body. As such, the use of tranosseous sutures may be preferred to mechanical anchors to reattach the supraspinatus tendon to the humerous.

With the use of transosseous sutures, transosseous tunnels may be formed in the humerous. There are numerous methods of generating bone tunnels, however, the challenge often lies with the means of shuttling suture through the prepared blind bone holes. Known methods are generally unfavorable due to size, cost or overall reliability. They are sometimes cumbersome, particularly when trying to retrieve a loose end of the suture thread.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure may provide systems, devices and methods to tissue repair, particularly to reattach soft tissue to bone. More particularly, the present disclosure may provide systems, devices and methods to reattach soft tissue such as connective tissue to bone such as the pelvis, a vertabrae or a long bone which may include the humerous, femur and tibia. Specific examples may include reattaching the supraspinatus tendon to the humerous to repair a torn rotator cuff as part of shoulder surgery; reattaching an anterior cruciate ligament or a medial collateral ligament to the femur or tibia as part of knee surgery; or rettaching a bicep tendon to the glenoid or elbow.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure may provide a suture thread coated with a stiffening agent to increase a rigidity of the suture thread. The suture thread may be formed into self-supporting predetermined shape, such as a coil. The suture coil may then be introduced into a first blind bone bore and retrieved from a second blind bone bore intersecting the first blind bone bore, which creates a continuous tissue tunnel having an opening at each end thereof. The suture coil may be retrieved with a suture retriever having a helical coil or “cork screw” at the distal end thereof. The coil may function as a hook at the distal end of the suture retriever which may be rotated to present several opportunities for the retriever coil to engage the suture coil and successfully pass the suture thread from the first blind bone bore to the second blind bone bore. The space required to achieve this union can be very small, and may be considered as being more minimally invasive, when being compared to other repair options.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and advantages of the present invention are set forth by description of embodiments consistent with the present invention, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a suture thread formed on a mandrel into a suture coil according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the suture thread of FIG. 1, including the suture coil, having a stiffening agent applied thereto according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the suture thread of FIG. 1, including the suture coil, with the stiffening agent applied thereto and the mandrel removed according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the suture thread of FIG. 1 with a loose end section of the suture thread passed through the suture coil to form a closed end loop at one end of the suture coil according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a close-up perspective view of the suture thread of FIG. 1 with the end section of the suture thread passed through the suture coil such that the closed loop is now at the end of the coil according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a bone, particularly a humerous, with the suture thread formed into the suture coil of FIG. 1 inserted into a first bone tunnel and a suture retriever device inserted into a second bone tunnel according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a close-up cross-sectional view of the bone with the suture thread formed into the suture coil of FIG. 1 inserted into the first bone tunnel and the suture retriever device inserted into the second bone tunnel according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a side view of a distal end portion of a suture retriever device according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a side view of a distal end portion of another suture retriever device according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a close-up cross-sectional view of the bone with the suture thread formed into the suture coil of FIG. 1 inserted into the first bone tunnel and a suture retriever device inserted into the second bone tunnel with the suture coil retrieved by the suture retriever device according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a side view of a suture thread and first suture reinforcing tube according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is side view of a suture thread and another suture reinforcing tube according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a side view of a suture thread and another suture reinforcing tube according to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 14 is a side view of a suture thread and a suture reinforcing tube according to the present disclosure in combination with a reinforcing plate and tissue.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It may be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments herein may be capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it may be appreciated that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a suture thread 10 may be wound or otherwise formed into the shape of a spiral (helical) coil 12. Suture thread 10 may be formed into the shape of a coil 12 by being wrapped around a suitable forming mandrel 14, such as a cylindrical rigid rod made of metal, plastic or ceramic.

As shown, suture coil 12 may have a length defined by a plurality of circular windings 16 arranged along a longitudinal axis 18 of forming mandrel 14. Windings 16 may be of uniform diameter and arranged side-by-side, particularly with adjacent windings 16 in contact with one another. The outside diameter OD of suture coil 12 may be in a range of, for example, 1 mm to 6 mm (more particularly, 1 mm to 3 mm) and the inside diameter ID of the suture coil 12 may be in the range of, for example, 0.5 mm to 5.5 mm. The suture coil 12 may have a length from, for example, 2 mm to 25 mm and may be made of a suture thread 10 having a diameter from, for example, 0.1 mm to 2 mm.

The suture thread 10 may be made of a nonabsorbable or absorbable material (a material which has a substantial decrease in tensile strength within 60 days under the skin). The suture thread 10 may be a monofilament, or may be made of multiple filaments (e.g. twisted or braided) together. The suture thread 10 may be made of nature or synthetic materials, including polymers. Exemplary nonabsorbable suture thread 10 may be made of silk (e.g. flexible multifilament, braided or twisted, composed of organic protein such as fibroin), nylon, polypropylene, polyester and polybutester. Exemplary absorbable suture thread 10 may be made of catgut (e.g. collagen strands), chromic gut, polyglycolic acid, polyglactic acid, polydioxanone and polyglyconate.

Referring now to FIG. 2, after being formed into the shape of a coil 12, a stiffening agent 20 may be applied (e.g. sprayed) to the outer surface 24 of the windings 16 of suture coil 12 to form a coating 26 thereon. Stiffening agent 20 may increase the rigidity of the suture thread 10 and hold the position of the windings 16 stationary and fixed relative to one another so that the suture thread 10 may be removed from the forming mandrel 14 without substantial deformation thereof. For example, suture thread 10 may be made sufficiently rigid with stiffening agent 20 such that suture coil 12 does not deform under its own weight with manipulation thereof and windings 16 do not separate or change in size (e.g. diameter).

The stiffening agent 20 may be sprayed or otherwise applied to the outer surface 24 of the suture thread 10 as a liquid containing volatile compounds which thereafter air dries (e.g. through the evaporation of the volatile compounds) leaving behind coating 26 which stiffens as it solidifies. The stiffening agent 20/coating 26 may comprise one or more nature or synthetic polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP, also called polyvidone), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), copolymers with vinyl acetate and maleic anhydride and vegetable gums dissolved in alcohol.

Alternatively, the stiffening agent 20 may be applied to the suture thread 10 as a heated melt, such as a polymer melt with a temperature above melt temperature, which solidifies as it cools to provide a polymer coating 26 and does not have an evaporative carrier. In this manner, the stiffening agent 20, which may comprise a thermoplastic polymer, may be applied the suture thread 10 prior to the suture thread 10 being formed into suture coil 12. Thereafter, the suture thread 10 with thermoplastic coating 26 may be reheated (e.g. above room temperature and below melt temperature) prior to and during the formation of suture coil 12, and then be subsequently cooled (e.g. to room temperature) after formation of suture coil 12.

Referring now to FIG. 3, once the suture coil 12 is formed and stiffening agent 20 has been applied to maintain the form (shape) of the coil 12, the suture coil 12 may be removed from mandrel 14. The mandrel 14 may include a stick-resistant coating on the outer surface thereof, such as a PTFE coating, to inhibit the suture coil 12 from sticking to the mandrel 14.

The suture thread 10 with suture coil 12 may include uncoiled terminal end sections 30 and 32 at each end of the coil 12. As shown in FIG. 4, uncoiled section 32 may be passed through the inner passage 34 of the coil 12 (previously occupied my mandrel 14) to form a closed loop 36 at one end of the suture coil 12 and have both end sections 30 and 32 at one common end of coil 12. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, end section 32 may be passed through the inner passage 34 of the coil 12 such that the loop 36 is now at the end of the coil 12 (i.e. formed by a winding 16).

Referring now to FIG. 6, the suture coil 12 may then be inserted into an opening 42 of a first linear (straight) cylindrical blind bore passage or bone tunnel 44 in bone 50, which may be formed by a drill. A distal end portion 46 of the bone tunnel 44 may be intersected by the distal end portion 56 of a second linear (straight) cylindrical blind bore passage or bone tunnel 54 having opening 52, which may also be formed by a drill. In the foregoing manner, a non-linear continuous tissue tunnel having an opening at each end thereof is formed, and suture thread 10 including suture coil 12 may then pass through bone tunnel 44 and into bone tunnel 54 where it may subsequently exit from opening 52. As shown, bone tunnels 44 and 54 are formed at an angle relative to one another, here acute, and do not share a common longitudinal axis. Depending on the size of coil 12, bone tunnels 44 and 54 may have a slightly larger diameter (e.g. 0.1-2 mm). For example, the inside diameter in a range of, for example, 1.1 mm to 8 mm.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in order to more easily pass suture coil 12 through bone tunnel 54 so that it may exit from opening 52, a suture retriever device 60 may be inserted into bone tunnel 54 to make contact with suture coil 12. As best shown in FIG. 7, suture retriever device 60 comprises a helical coil 62 at the distal end of a shaft 64, with coil 62 having a distal pointed end 68. As shown in FIG. 8, the distal end 68 of coil 62 may be linear and project distally or, as shown in FIG. 9, may arc proximally with a hook configuration.

Referring now to FIG. 10, in order to engage and retain suture coil 12 with suture retriever device 60, retriever device 60 may be rotated within bone tunnel 54, here counterclockwise (relative to the user), until a portion 70 of a winding 16 of the suture coil 12 is hooked by coil 62. In order to hook suture coil 12, for example, distal end 68 of coil 62 may enter passage 34 from the end of suture coil 12 and thereafter hook a winding 16 thereof. Alternatively, distal end 68 of coil 62 may pass between two adjacent windings 16 to hook a winding 16. Thereafter, suture thread 10 may be extracted through bone tunnel 54 and from opening 52 as suture retriever device 60 is retracted from bone tunnel 54 and opening 52.

Thus, the present disclosure may provide a suture thread 10 coated with a stiffening agent 20 to increase a rigidity of the suture thread 10. The suture thread 10 may be formed into a suture coil 12. The suture coil 12 may then be introduced into a first blind bone bore 44 and retrieved from a second blind bone bore 54 intersecting the first blind bone bore 44. The suture coil 10 may be retrieved with a suture retriever device 60 having a helical coil 62 at the distal end thereof. The coil 62 may function as a hook at the distal end of the suture retriever device 60 which may be rotated to present several opportunities for the retriever coil 62 to engage the suture coil 12 and successfully pass the suture thread 10 from the first blind bone bore 44 to the second blind bone bore 54. The space required to achieve this union can be very small, and may be considered as being more minimally invasive, when being compared to other repair options.

In certain embodiments, once the suture thread 10 is extracted through bone tunnel 54 from opening 52, one of the end sections 30, 32 of the suture thread 10 may now be pulled though bone tunnels 44 and 54 such that one end section 30 of the suture thread extends from bone tunnel 44 and the other end section 32 extends from bone tunnel 54, during which time at least a portion of the coil 12 may be uncoiled to pull the suture thread taught from each bone tunnel 44 and 54 and more easily slide within. Thereafter, the suture thread 10 may be used to connect soft tissue such as connective tissue to the bone tissue as discussed in greater detail below. Alternatively the suture thread 10 may be cut at the closed loop 36 to provide two separate pieces of suture thread passing through bone tunnels 44 and 54, which may both be connect soft tissue such as connective tissue to the bone tissue.

In certain instances, suture thread 10 may rub and chafe (wear away) against bone 50, particularly at abrasive corners or edges, for example of bone bores 44 and 54 at openings 42 and 52, respectively, which may cause the suture thread 10 to break prematurely. Alternatively, if the suture thread 10 is used in conjunction with soft tissue, the suture thread 10 may migrate and “cut through” the soft tissue.

Referring now to FIGS. 11-13, the suture thread 10 of the present disclosure, with or without the stiffening agent 20, may be used in conjunction with one or more hollow suture reinforcing tubes 80 a, 80 b and 80 c, which may provide a cylindrical sheath around at least a portion of the length of the suture thread 10. As best shown in FIG. 11, suture thread 10 may extend through the lumen 82 of a flexible suture tube 80 a and extend from each end thereof. Suture tubes 80 a, 80 b and 80 c may be made have a braided filament tubular structure, which may be made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

In the case of hard tissue, the suture tube 80 a, 80 b or 80 c may shield the suture thread 10 from abrasive bone corners, or at other locations against which the suture thread 10 may rub and chafe. In the case of soft tissue, cutting forces placed on the soft tissue by the suture thread 10 may be distributed over the larger surface area occupied by the suture tube, which may reduce the likelihood of the suture thread 10 from cutting or pulling though the soft tissue.

As shown in FIG. 11, suture tube 80 a may freely slide along suture thread 10 so that it may be freely positioned anywhere along the length of suture thread 10 during surgery. However such may be problematic when suture thread 10 is passed through a narrow tissue aperture, for example, which may be created by a needle to which the suture thread 10 is connected and passes through. In such case, while it may be possible to pass the suture thread 10 through the aperture created by the needle, the increased diameter of the suture tube 80 a may inhibit the suture tube 80 a from passing through the aperture.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12, suture tube 80 b may be bonded (e.g. fused thermally or adhesively) to suture thread 10, for example, at each end 84 thereof by heat staking as to be held in a fixed (stationary) position. Such may be useful to inhibit the suture tube 80 b from moving relative to suture thread 10. Such may be desirable, for example, when suture thread 10 is passed through a narrow aperture which may be created by a needle to which the suture thread 10 is connected. The suture thread 10 may then be used to pull the suture tube 80 b through the aperture.

As shown in FIG. 13, suture tube 80 c may freely slide along suture thread 10 so that it may be positioned anywhere along the length of suture thread 10 during surgery, similar to suture tube 80 a. However, suture tube 80 c may further include attachment means 86, which may comprise threads, to connect to the suture thread 10. As indicated above, such may be desirable, for example, when suture thread 10 is passed through a narrow aperture which may be created by a needle to which the suture thread 10 is connected. The suture thread 10 may then be used to pull the suture tube 80 c through the aperture.

Referring now to FIG. 14, suture tube 80, which may include any of suture tubes 80 a, 80 b or 80 c may be used in conjunction with one or more localized reinforcement members 90 (e.g. buttress plates, pledgets) to further inhibit suture thread 10 from pulling through soft tissue 92 in direction 94. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14, suture tube 80 includes attachment means 86, which comprise threads, to connect to the suture thread 10. As shown, when suture thread 10 is passed through a narrow aperture 96 which may be created by a needle 98 to which the suture thread 10 is connected, the suture thread 10 may then be used to pull the suture tube 80 through the aperture 96.

Thus, the present disclosure may provide a suture tube 80 a, 80 b or 80 c to inhibit inadvertent damage to a suture thread 10 or to tissue 50 or 92 contacted by the suture thread 10 (e.g. tissue held in place by the suture thread 10 or through which the suture thread 10 may pass through).

While the principles of the present disclosure have been described herein, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation as to the scope of the invention. The features and aspects described with reference to particular embodiments disclosed herein are susceptible to combination and/or application with various other embodiments described herein. Such combinations and/or applications of such described features and aspects to such other embodiments are contemplated herein. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the present invention in addition to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention, which is not to be limited except by the following claims.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified, unless clearly indicated to the contrary.

All references, patents and patent applications and publications that are cited or referred to in this application are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference.

Additional disclosure in the format of claims is set forth below: 

1. A medical device comprising: a suture thread coated with a stiffening agent and having a shape of a coil having a plurality of windings.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein: the stiffening agent comprises a polymer.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein: the stiffening agent holds a position of the windings stationary relative to one another.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein: the suture thread comprises uncoiled terminal end sections at opposite ends of the coil.
 5. The device of claim 1 wherein: the windings define a passage extending through the coil; and one of the terminal end sections extends through the passage such that a loop is provided at one end of the coil.
 6. A medical device comprising: a suture sheath comprising a tube having a lumen; a suture thread passing through the lumen and extending from each end of the tube; and the suture thread and suture sheath joined to one another such that the suture sheath is inhibited from movement relative to the suture thread.
 7. A medical device comprising: a suture sheath comprising a tube having a lumen; and attachment means located on the suture sheath to attached the suture sheath to a suture thread.
 8. A method to treat tissue comprising: providing tissue having first and second openings at opposing ends of a tunnel formed in the tissue; providing a suture thread coated with a stiffening agent and having a shape of a coil having a plurality of windings; inserting the suture thread with the suture coil into the first opening at one end of the tunnel; inserting a suture retrieving device into the second opening at the opposing end of the tunnel; manipulating at least one of the suture thread and the suture retrieving device to connect the suture thread to the retrieving device within the tunnel; removing the suture retrieving device from the second opening of the tunnel; and removing the suture thread from the second opening of the tunnel with the suture retrieving device.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein: the tissue is bone tissue;
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein: the bone tissue is of a long bone.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein: the long bone is a humerous, femur or tibia bone.
 12. The method of claim 9 further comprising: using the suture thread to connect soft tissue to the bone tissue.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein: the soft tissue comprises connective tissue.
 14. The method of claim 8 wherein: the stiffening agent comprises a polymer.
 15. The method of claim 8 wherein: the stiffening agent holds a position of the windings stationary relative to one another.
 16. The method of claim 8 wherein: the suture thread comprises uncoiled terminal end sections at opposite ends of the coil.
 17. The method of claim 8 wherein: the windings define a passage extending through the coil; and one of the terminal end sections extends through the passage such that a loop is formed at one end of the coil.
 18. A method to treat tissue comprising: providing a medical device including a suture sheath comprising a tube having a lumen; a suture thread passing through the lumen and extending from each end of the tube; and the suture thread and suture sheath joined to one another such that the suture sheath is inhibited from movement relative to the suture thread; applying the suture thread to hold the tissue together; and using the suture sheath to inhibit at least one of the suture thread cutting the tissue or the tissue cutting the suture thread. 